NEWS: Alaska House Passes Legislation to Support Students with Loans

NEWS: Alaska House Passes Legislation to Support Students with Loans

HB 86 Limits Government Overreach and Supports Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2017

Juneau – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives passed legislation sponsored by Representative Matt Claman (D-Anchorage) to repeal statutes relating to nonrenewal of occupational licenses for default on a student loan.

The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is responsible for handling cases of delinquency and default of student loans in Alaska. Under current law, a licensing agency may not renew a license issued to a borrower if the licensing entity has received notice from the Commission that the borrower is in default on a student loan. Those licenses include occupational licenses for nursing, teachers (K-12), and correctional officers, among others.

“Although the ACPE is not currently active in attempting to put holds on professional licenses, these laws could have negative consequences for Alaskans who are working to payback their student loan debt: they could lose their professional license,” said Rep. Claman. “Having statutes that allow the government to stop renewal of occupational licenses is an unfair threat to hold over the head of working Alaskans. This bill supports students and limits government overreach by eliminating statutes that could unfairly intimidate Alaskans facing loan debt.”

HB 86 passed the House by a vote of 36-4. The bill will now be sent to the Alaska Senate for consideration.

For more information, contact Owen Phillips in Rep. Claman’s office at 907-465-4919.